Road to the 2025 State Title Was a Memorable One for Lions

After a long run in the basketball playoffs, the Fayetteville Lions didn’t begin their baseball season until March 4.

And that opener was a doozy. The Lions beat defending state 2A semifinalist Flatonia 17-16 (despite committing five errors and having to use seven different pitchers). Fayetteville then rolled to a district title, finishing the regular season with a 12-3 record (a lot less games than most teams because of that hoops season). Then it was on to the playoffs:

Lions Down Old Rival D’Hanis in Area Round

In a battle of historic postseason rivals, the Fayetteville baseball team defeated D’Hanis 8-2 in a 1A area round playoff game. Jack Schley pitched six innings of one-run ball striking out 12, and Chance Konvicka pitched the seventh. Offensively for the Lions, Konvicka and Easton Jaeger hits doubles. Jaeger scored three runs. Schley had two hits and drove in three. Jack Winford, Mason Fenhaus, Lawson Fritsch and Dylan Henneke also had hits.

Fayetteville Knocks Off Knippa 19-2

Fayetteville knocked off Knippa 19-2 in their one-game regional semifinal series.

Kandon Kaspar was twofor- three with a homer for the Lions and scored three runs. Lawson Fritsch had two hits, including a double and drove in three runs. Jack Schley had two hits and scored three runs. Kole Schmitt had two hits, including a triple, and drove in three runs. Chance Konvicka pitched three innings for the Lions, striking out six and allowing two runs (one earned). Kole Schmitt pitched two hitless innings, striking out four. Dylan Henneke pitched one hitless inning, striking out two.

Lions Sweep RTC

The Fayetteville baseball team proved again they were the kings of Region IV-1A baseball. The Lions (16-3) won the regional crown in dominating fashion in Brenham, sweeping past Round Top-Carmine 15-1 and 20-0. With a huge crowd watching this all-Fayette County battle, Fayetteville won its third straight regional baseball title.

“All the hard work is paying off and we’re going to state for the third time in a row,” said Fayetteville senior Chance Konvicka, who in Game 2, pitched a complete game onehitter with nine strikeouts.

Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger said. “This is four of the past five years (as regional champs) and 11 overall, but we’ve got to go finish it now.”

Schley pitched a complete game four-hitter with 10 strikeouts to lead the Lions to that Game 1 victory. Schley also hit a homer in that game. Easton Jaeger had two hits, including a double and drove in four runs in the opener.

Kandon Kaspar had four hits in Game 2 Thursday, including two doubles and a triple and four RBIs.

There were a lot of other offensive heroes in Game 2 for the Lions. Lawson Fritsch had three hits, including two doubles. Dylan Henneke and Jaeger each drove in three. Schley scored four runs. Konvicka was intentionally walked five times.

Brookeland Pushes Lions to the Brink

The Lions and their fans, lived on the edge of their seats for three nights in Huntsville before Fayetteville finally prevailed over Brookeland in a best-of-three state semifinal series. In Game 1, Schley pitched a complete game twohitter with 10 strikeouts as the Lions won 1-0.

“It was amazing what he did, and we needed every bit of it,” Clint Jaeger said.

The Lions’ lone run finally came in the sixth inning when freshman Kandon Kaspar drew a bases loaded walk to plate Easton Jaeger for the game’s only run. That rally started when Jaeger reached on a Brookeland error, before Schley and Konvicka walked to load the bases.

Brookeland’s Cade Morgan struck out 15 in a 3-2 Game 2 victory, but the Lions saved Konvicka to pitch in Game 3. Konvicka proved more than ready to go as Fayetteville won 3-1. The senior pitched a complete game two-hitter with 16 strikeouts – a 1A record for a state semifinal or final game. It was by far the most pitches (108) Konvicka has thrown this season after recovering from surgery last summer.

“We’ve been building him up and building him up,” Jaeger said. “He put us on his back and led us to the state championship game.”

Brookeland got a first inning run, but Fayetteville tied the game in the third when Jack Schley tripled and came home on a Kaspar single.

The Lions took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth when Schley was hit by a pitch, Konvicka singled him to third and then he scored on a passed ball.

Lions Beat Gordon 4-2 for State Title

Led by a group of six seniors fueled by the near-misses of state runner-up finishes the past two years, the 2025 Fayetteville Lions roared to a state-title by beating Gordon 4-2 Saturday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

Fayetteville (19-4) never trailed in the game, but Gordon (23-6) got the tying runs on base and had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh against senior Chance Konvicka.

Konvicka got clean-up hitter Evan Jackson to hit a high foul pop that just stayed in the park. Fayetteville freshman catcher Dylan Henneke tracked it down at the screen for the final out. Fayetteville senior shortstop Easton Jaeger was presented the title game MVP award, reaching base all four times he came to bat and driving in two. Jack Schley pitched four innings of onerun ball before Konvicka took over on the mound, throwing three innings of one-run ball to get the save.

In the top of the first Jaeger and Schley both singled. Konvicka brought home Jaeger with a sacrifice fly and Schley scored when freshman Kandon Kaspar beat out an infield single. Fayetteville tacked on a single run in the second when Lawson Fritsch reached on a fielders’ choice, stole second and then scored on a Jaeger single. Fayetteville made it 4-1 in the fourth when Jack Winford walked and then scored after back-to-back singles by Fritsch and Jaeger.

Gordon scored once in the bottom of the seventh and got two runners on before Henneke made a tricky game-ending catch of a foul pop at the screen that people will be talking about for a long time in Fayetteville.

“Greatest moment of my life,” Henneke said of that catch.